A wireless network can provide a flexible data communication system that can either replace or extend a wired network. Using radio frequency (RF) technology, wireless networks transmit and receive data over the air through walls, ceilings and even cement structures without wired cabling. For example, a wireless local area network (WLAN) provides all the features and benefits of traditional LAN technology, such as Ethernet and Token Ring, but without the limitations of being tethered together by a cable. This provides greater freedom and increased flexibility.
Currently, a wireless network operating in accordance with the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 Standard (e.g., IEEE Std. 802.11a/b/g/n) may operate in infrastructure mode (infra-mode) or ad hoc mode. As of today, most installed wireless networks are configured and operate in infra-mode where one or more access points (APs) are configured as interfaces for a wired distribution network (e.g., Ethernet). In infra-mode, mobile devices with wireless connectivity (e.g., laptop computer with a radio network interface card “NIC”) are able to establish communications and associate with the AP, and thus, the users of these devices are able to access content within servers connected to the wired network.
As an optional feature, however, the IEEE 802.11 Standard specifies ad hoc mode, which allows the radio NIC within each wireless device to operate in an independent basic service set (IBSS) network configuration. Hence, the wireless devices perform peer-to-peer communications with each other instead of utilizing the AP for supporting such wireless communications.
One type of ad hoc network is referred to as a mesh network, which allows for continuous connections and reconfiguration around broken or blocked paths by “hopping” from device to another device until the destination is reached. Mesh networks differ from other networks in that the devices can all connect to each other via multiple hops without infrastructure (e.g., wired APs), and these devices can be mobile or stationary. Related to mesh networks, mobile ad-hoc networks (MANETs) are self-configuring networks of mobile routers, where the routers are free to relocate.
One of the primary disadvantages of conventional mesh networks is their inability to effectively manage connectivity with mobile devices by scanning wireless channels for improved AP communications. Effective management may be measured through faster AP selection by the mobile devices along with an improved possibility of finding a neighboring AP with better signal quality. Unfortunately, the conventional AP selection process does not effectively account for periods of intermittent improved signal quality, which results in unnecessary and unwanted roaming to occur. Hence, there is a need for a mechanism to overcome these disadvantages.